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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Review: A Wild Night's Bride by Victoria Vane

What happens when a struggling actress and a grieving widower come together in a night of unbridled debauchery orchestrated by a bored and machinating rake?

She’s a lonely lady down on her luck... Phoebe Scott, alias Kitty Willis, is a struggling Covent Garden actress with a bruised heart and a closely guarded secret.

He’s steadfast and eminently respectable...Sir Edward Chambers, Ned to his intimates, is guilt-ridden over his beloved wife’s death and avowed to live out a rustic and mundane life … of celibacy.

With the devil in charge—there will surely be hell to pay...

Devil in disguise, Viscount Ludovic DeVere, is determined to return his best friend, Ned, to the land of the living. His meddling machinations result in a night of mind blowing passion after which “dull dog Ned” awakes to find himself in the King of England’s bed!

My Thoughts:

I love the Georgian period. All of the history, fashion, vice, and drama I crave without the super strict social mores that would come later in the Regency and Victorian eras. And A Wild Night's Bride starts off promising all that and more, as Ned Chambers wakes up in a strange bed, with a strange woman, with his best friend locked in a closet...and he can't remember a thing. Blame it on the kava kava juice!

The story then shifts back to the beginning of the adventure, where our heroine, Phoebe, a down-on-her-luck actress, is forced to find new means of taking care of herself, and there aren't too many options. Ashamed at what she's about to do, but determined to survive, Phoebe infiltrates the Feast of Venus at the notorious King's Place brothel in search of a protector. As the feast progresses, the party gets wild, and there are plenty of wealthy, sex-crazed men to choose from, but Phoebe's drawn to the quiet one hiding out behind a palm tree: Ned Chambers.

Ned was dragged along to the feast by his best friend, the hedonistic rake Ludovic DeVere, and he's been abandoned as DeVere satisfies his desires. He's not sure if it's the strong drink or the atmosphere, but he suddenly finds himself with desires of his own: for Phoebe. But he hasn't touched a woman since his wife died three years earlier, and he is racked with feelings of guilt and doubt. Disappointed that the nice, handsome man she's attracted to has no interest in taking a mistress, Phoebe turns her attention back to the feast and her search for a protector and hones in on DeVere. But Ned knows how the story always ends with DeVere, and he can't stand the thought of that happening to Phoebe. DeVere, sharp as always, even in the middle of an orgy, senses his friend's attraction to Phoebe and accepts a dare to have sex in the King of England's bed, planning all the while to ensure that Ned and Phoebe are the ones who will carry out the deed, and hopefully find love in the process. What follows is an all-night adventure and I loved how everything came together full circle at the end.

One of the reasons I am loving the digital revolution so much is that novellas like this can be published. A 110-page erotic historical romance in print? Not likely. But is there a market for it? Absolutely! This is a fun, sexy romp and you've got to take it for what it is. If you're looking for slow-building true love and fully fleshed-out characters and storylines--well, that's hard to fit into a hundred pages. But if you're in the mood for something naughty and you like your sexy dressed up in period costume, with witty dialogue and a few touching moments, you can't go wrong spending an evening with the Devil DeVere!

My Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Wanna win an e-copy of A Wild Night's Bride?

CLICK HERE to check out a guest post from Victoria Vane on her inspiration, the real Feast of Venus, and enter to win! The giveaway is open internationally and ends May 26, 2012.

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I am currently open to review requests. However, because my reading time is precious, I am very particular about the books I take on for review. I read across all time periods, but I prefer romantic historical fiction and historical romance. I also enjoy historical mysteries and young adult historicals. And I'm always on the lookout for something unique. I also expect high standards of quality. If I am unable to review your book but I think it's one my readers would like to know about, I may offer you an interview or guest post opportunity. I am currently scheduling reviews 2-3 months in advance. If you'd like to submit a review request, please email me a blurb along with links to your website and a sample of the book: JDQ1175@aol.com.

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